Domestic wind energy storage in UK

Acta S.p.A (AIM:ACTA), the clean energy products company, is pleased to announce that it has received confirmation of a paid trial for a renewable energy storage project in the UK. The project was initiated by Clean Power Solutions Ltd (“Clean Power Solutions”) who will be installing the trial this summer.

The purpose of the trial, which will be paid for by the end user, is to demonstrate the use of electrolysers to produce hydrogen from rainwater utilising the excess energy produced by a domestic wind turbine.

Clean Power Solutions installs and manages domestic turbines in the UK and has encountered numerous situations where turbine permits have not been granted due to the electricity grid being unable to accept the intermittent energy supply being produced from renewable energy sources.

In order to cope with the increasing supply of renewable energy in the UK, the national grid is beginning to impose restrictions on the amount of renewable energy that can be exported on to the grid. This restriction is already in place in numerous Scottish Islands, South West England and Northern Ireland where the maximum exportable energy from domestic renewable energy installations is 3.68kW per phase. For potential turbine owners this means that they will have to use all the surplus energy from their turbine in a useful way in order to receive their permit.

Clean Power Solutions’ proposed solution for this is to use Acta’s electrolysers to convert excess energy from the turbine into hydrogen. This hydrogen can then be used through a fuel cell to power a house or other equipment or by installing a hydrogen boiler to heat the water for the house.

This initial trial will be for a farm in Cheshire. The farm has a 20kW turbine and the farm house itself uses about 6kW of that energy. The solution from Clean Power Solutions will make sure that 3.68kW of the produced energy will constantly be exported to the grid and that 6kW will be reserved for the house. It will then direct the excess power to the electrolyser where it will convert water into hydrogen for storage. A hydrogen boiler from Giacomini S.p.A. will be installed in the farmhouse to use the hydrogen for heating water.

On 17 May 2013, Acta and Clean Power Solutions signed a heads of terms agreement to work together on this solution. Following the successful trial of the system, Clean Power Solutions plans to promote the solution to current and potential turbine owners in order to obtain permits which are currently blocked and to maximise the use of their renewable energy.

The total investment for the end-user, covering the wind turbine, electrolyser, storage system and the hydrogen boiler, is expected to have a pay-back time depending on wind speed of less than six years, based upon the receipt of feed-in tariffs and the usage of renewable energy on site. Acta’s part of the solution, which incorporates the electrolyser and hydrogen storage tanks, is worth €21,000.

Acta’s Chief Executive, Paolo Bert commented: “We are very excited to see this innovative application of our electrolysers, which will enable potential renewable energy owners to obtain their permits and become energy independent. We believe that this application will also open the residential market to the Company’s Acta Power system for renewable energy storage and re-supply, through its integrated electrolyser and fuel cell.”

Clean Power Solutions Chief Executive, Mike Hough commented: “The potential of this solution is enormous. With areas such as Scotland having already imposed these grid restrictions we envisage that the rest of UK will follow shortly, which could have a dramatic effect on the adoption of renewable energy in the UK. We are proud to have found a solution that will help the renewable energy market in the UK to become more successful.”

About Clean Power Solutions

Clean Power Solutions Ltd is a leading company supplying renewable energy solutions in the UK. They supply 3.5kW-100kW wind turbines for farms, commercial and domestic installation, as well as Anaerobic Digesters. From project conception through planning, grid connection, installation and commissioning they provide a one-stop shop for all renewable energy requirements.

With grid connection at single phase, 3 phase or split phase and design of off-Grid and hybrid grid-tied systems with export limitation and control, they fully understand network restriction and lead the market in renewable solutions and reduced network connection charges.

They offer a no-cost site visit, survey and consultation process with the sole objective of finding the best solution to the client’s energy requirements. Following this a complete project management is undertaken from survey to commissioning, with client satisfaction the driving factor and client control of future energy costs relating to electricity, heat and transport the ultimate goal.